Re: what the heck is ACID DETERGET FIBER and comments wanted on bagged feed

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

> ACID DETERGENT FIBER, 21%  what the heck is this?

A measurement of how digestible a feed is.  The lower the ADF is, the more
digestible it is.  The higher the ADF, the more indigestible "bulk" there
is.  Forages tend to be in the 28-50% range (beet pulp is at the low end,
straw at the high end) and concentrates (ie, grain) mostly tend to be under
10%.

So here's how you put it to use in the real world.  If you have a horse
that's holding his weight okay (or is pig fat), but you want him to have
something to munch on, give him something with a higher ADF.  It'll have a
lot of bulk but not as much energy.  If you need to put weight on without
adding more grain to the diet, feed a low-ADF forage like beet pulp.

If your horse tends to get quiet guts during a ride and you want more
motility, feed him a forage (any forage, and the wetter the better) so that
the bulk can get those guts moving again---average grass hay has an ADF of
35%, wheat bran has an ADF of 12% (just a tad higher than grain), so which
one is going to provide the bulk to get motility going again?  The hay, not
the bran.

If you're comparing two similar hays before stocking up on a year's supply,
and the broker has the analysis available, buy the one with the lower ADF.
This is especially true for the Southeast, where the higher temps during
growing season produces higher lignin (and therefore lower digestibility) in
the coastal bermuda.  The hay with the lower ADF is the hay grown during
cooler weather and is going to be more digestible and less likely to cause
impaction problems, especially in horses that are poor drinkers or running
dehydrated at a ride.

Regarding the two feeds you described, the first one is essentially a
balanced concentrate ration.  If the zinc is the same (100 ppm) in both
bags, I personally prefer higher zinc, but it's basically okay for an adult
horse.  I wouldn't feed it to broodmares or foals under two years, though.
The second feed you described is essentially a Bag O' Hay.  Balanced, but a
bag o' hay nonetheless.  So, which one is better depends on what you're
looking for.

Good luck,
Susan G